The experience of nursery school teachers with children in foster care

The study focuses on the analysis of specific behavioural manifestations in children from foster families from the perspective of nursery schoolteachers in the Zlín region, the Czech Republic. The main objective was to analyse these manifestations in the nursery school environment. A sub-objective was to describe the relationship of these children with their teachers and peers in the nursery school. A semi-structured interview was used for data collection. The participants were five nursery schoolteachers who had experience of working with children from foster families. Open coding of the interviews revealed that children from foster families were more likely to display aggression, rejecting behaviour and defiance. These behaviours are perceived by teachers as a means of releasing psychological tension, a way of attracting attention or inappropriate habits from the family environment. However, at the same time, the need for love, affection and acceptance from the teacher is noticeable. Teachers see the reasons for this behaviour in the children's previous experience and in the current life situation and its changes. Children from foster families often enter into conflict situations with other children in the class. There is a difference in relation to younger or weaker children, to whom they manifest empathy, effort to help or care for them.